Latest on the Fiscal Cliffage

The AP and other outlets were reporting that Eric Cantor would not support the Senate bill, but since then Cantor spokesman Doug Heye tweeted that “Majority Leader Cantor stands with @SpeakerBoehner. Speculation otherwise is silly, non-productive and untrue.”

CBS News reports that House Democrats “expect almost all of their members to vote in favor of the deal, though their caucus is not thrilled with the Senate bill, either. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., on the House floor today called the expected vote on the measure a ‘hold-your-nose vote.'”

According to Mark Knoller, Congressman Steve LaTourette, R-OH says the “overwhelming sentiment” among House Republicans is to amend ‘cliff’ bill with amendment cutting spending.

Johnathan Karl reports that according to a Senate Democratic Leadership aide: “If the House changes the Senate’s bipartisan agreement, we will absolutely not consider it.” (As I recall that’s what they said about health care too, so I remain unconvinced.)

Before the House could consider any bill it would have to go through the Rules Committee.

The House is currently in recess waiting for call of the Chair.

6:02 PM: Moveon is encouraging their members to call their representatives and urge them to vote against the bill. “The House should reject this deal and instead introduce and pass a tax cut for 98% of Americans on the first day of the new Congress.”

6:25 PM: Chad Pergram says “House to conduct votes on non-related #fiscalcliff bills. That enables them to bring everyone to the floor and makes whipping easier.”

6:30 PM: House voting now to suspend the rules and pass H.R 6726, Congressional Pay Freeze & Fiscal Responsibility Act. They will also be voting on “Conveyance of certain property in Kotzebue, AK” & “Drywall Safety” Acts.

6:52 PM: Steve LaTourette says that the Senate bill would not get a “majority of the majority” support, meaning it would not pass the Hastert Rule. But Boehner already violated that when he announced a vote for Plan B.

7:08 PM: LaTourette is quite the chatterbox tonight. “We should not take a package put together by a bunch of sleep-deprived octogenarians on New Year’s Eve,” he said.

7:18 PM: Robert Costa: “Members think Boehner has at least 50-70 Repubs on Sen deal, with number increasing right now on floor.”

7:28 PM: National Journal says Biden/Obama undermined Reid’s attempt to play hardball with McConnell by agreeing to negotiate with him. “We know that when McConnell has hit a wall with Reid, he calls Joe Biden to get some more candy,” says a Democratic aide. “McConnell’s negotiating options with Reid had narrowed. Either he could let Congress veer off the cliff, take Reid’s latest offer or accept the president’s tax-hike package for those earning more than $250,000.”

Jane Hamsher

Jane is the founder of Firedoglake.com. Her work has also appeared on the Huffington Post, Alternet and The American Prospect. She’s the author of the best selling book Killer Instinct and has produced such films Natural Born Killers and Permanent Midnight. She lives in Washington DC.Subscribe in a reader